Utility linemen are often required to work in elevated workstations such as utility trucks with aerial buckets. These aerial buckets are typically located at the end of an extendable hydraulically driven arm that is attached to a truck or other vehicle and are capable of lifting one or more linemen to elevated positions above the ground.
Once in position, the linemen is often required to perform repairs or assemblies utilizing many tools and small parts such as washers, nuts, and bolts. While performing the repairs and assemblies, the linemen are normally required to wear leather gloves and may sometimes be required to wear thick electrically insulated gloves. These thick gloves make it significantly more difficult to grasp and manipulate small objects.
To solve this problem, there are several related inventions known in the art. For example, hardware storage devices such as bag type apparatuses are configured with one or more grommets capable of receiving hooks that are attached to the lip of the aerial bucket. These bag devices contain a plurality of pockets for storing and organizing tools and fasteners. However, when using gloves linemen can have great difficulty retrieving and manipulating specific items in the pockets of these bag storage devices.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,640,889 filed on Nov. 13, 1995 by Anderson et al. describes a lug nut removal and storage tool comprising a tube with ball bearings that secures lug nuts. While linemen are required to manipulate nut type fasteners and washers, this invention is only able to store and accommodate nut type fasteners.
Typically, linemen are required to attach an ordered set of fasteners onto a bolt. These ordered sets of fasteners usually comprise a nut type fastener and one or more types of washers. The related art contains many inventions that are capable of storing a plurality of fasteners, however, none are able to store and dispense a specific series of sets of different types of fasteners, and are able to then place a specific set of fasteners in a manner that is conducive to manipulation with gloved hands.
Therefore, a need exists for a new fastener staging and placement system capable of storing an ordered plurality of ring type fasteners and capable of placing a set of fasteners in desired locations by gloved hands.